Developmental changes in California card sorting test performance

The purpose of the present study was to determine I) if performance on the California Card Sorting Test (CCST) follows the same developmental gradient as other measures of concept formation and 2) whether the components of co ncept formation tapped by the CCST are developmentally dissociable. Partici pants were 68 children and young adults in four age-based groups: 7 to 9 ye ars (n = 13); la to 12 years (n = 16); 17 to 19 (n = 20); and 20 to 22 year s (n = 19). All were of average or higher measured intelligence and screene d for neurological, psychiatric, reading and attentional disorder. The find ings of the present study suggest that like many other concept formation ta sks, CCST performance approximates adult levels by age 10. Further, the dif ferent components of concept formation measured by the CCST are dissociable in the youngest children with the development of concept recognition prece ding sorting ability. (C) 2000 National Academy of Neuropsychology. Publish ed by Elsevier Science Ltd.